


From Far to Here

by ValkyrieCry



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/M, Genderbend Character, Magic, Multi, Past Rape/Non-con, ridiculous coincidences
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-03-23 01:01:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13776363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValkyrieCry/pseuds/ValkyrieCry
Summary: A retelling of Death Note, in Medieval Style.Prince Light of the Yagami Clan has been frustrated for years about the handling of criminals in his country. Now, though, he doesn't have to wait for his coronation to punish the guilty. L is a sorcerer and seer that has a vision foretelling the return of the evil and mysterious Kira, the ruler of a country that's long been in ruins. Can L catch this villain, or will L's own past catch up?





	1. Far Apart

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone. Or no one. Whichever. This is my first story, so be kind, please. I could probably own Death Note, with how poorly the creator eats, but I do not. Repeat; I DO NOT OWN DEATH NOTE. Good. Love,  
> Valkyrie- San.

To be perfectly honest, Light was bored. Prince Yagami Light was the heir to the throne, son of the current King, and one of the most well-loved people in the kingdom. After all of that, though, he found a way to be bored. Sitting at his desk, studying alone, he found himself gazing out of his window, down onto the inner courtyard, where is father was sentencing criminals to imprisonment. Light felt anger bubble up, and dropped the feather he was writing with. Standing up, he stretched out his lean body, feathery hair falling around his face perfectly. He turned to the doors leading to his balcony, and pushed them open, stepping out. When he did, the congregation all turned to stare for a moment, entranced by him, no doubt. And boy, was he an entrancing sight.  
Hair haloed his face, the auburn locks falling delicately, not a strand out of place. His face was strong yet beautiful, eyes dark and skin unblemished. His body was lean, and the fit muscles moved under his skin perfectly. He was a God amongst men, and everyone knew it. But he was bored of his life, tired of the servants with no purpose, and tired of the country. It was far too soft on its criminals and enemies. They needed to pay for their crimes, and Light was tired of waiting to change it. He wanted it to change now.  
At that moment, something caught his eye. In the darkness of the fence, he spotted what appeared to be a man, waving at him, and pointing at something. Then, the man disappeared. Light was unnerved. Turning back to his room, he scanned the desk, looking for his feather, when a voice said,” Eh, so you're the master, huh?” Light swerved around, eyes wide. On the other side of the room, a large man was floating, back facing him. What he could see was appalling; thick, green, spiky hair stuck up, a sickly black tint making it even more unhealthy-looking. The skin he could see looked rotted, a bruised blue. Large stitches attached its head to its torso, black, and the thing’s hands were giant. This was most definitely not what Light wanted to see.  
“ Hey, Kira-sama, nice to meet you,” it said, and turned to him. If he had thought it was appalling from the back, he was even more disgusted by the front.” What are you,” Light said, eyes sharp and hard, and the thing leered.” Why, Kira-sama, I am Ryuk, your servant. I'm also a Tanuki, summoned and bound to your clan generations ago.”  
Light looked skeptical, tsking in irritation.” My clan, the Yagami, are aligned with sorcerers, not demons. What do you want?” The demon laughed,pointed teeth bared.” Oy, Kira-sama, you really don't know? You're not of the Yagami clan, you're of the Shinigami clan.”  
***  
My eyes snapped open, trying to recall the dream. There was a demon, and a young man… But I couldn't remember the rest. I hoped that meant it was only a dream, and not a vision. Sitting up, I pushed the blanket away, trying to escape the warmth that would make my eyes close. As my feet touched the lush carpet, I sighed in relief. Yesterday, the coldness of the stone had made my toes blue, and it seemed Watari had noticed. Now, a thick carpet was under and around my bed, and a pair of dark, fur-lined slippers was at the edge of the carpet. I felt the faintest traces of a smile touch my lips. He knew me too well.  
I stood, smiling wider as the fur touched my feet. Soft. Warm. Thick. I really loved Watari. Shuffling out of my room, I went back to contemplating my dream. It was so fuzzy, I could barely remember the voice, and the name. Harshly hissing, then grotesquely deep, and that name, Kira. I felt my stomach drop a little, and started biting my thumbnail, worry filling me. What if it was a vision? I needed to speak with Watari. Opening the door down one of the underground halls, I walked into the rooms Watari set aside for training. In the room was Watari, and the three younger apprentices. The three were asleep, Mello mumbling, Near barely moving, Matt clutching his tobacco sticks, and Watari was setting up tea for us.  
“ Ah, L, there you are,” he said with a kind smile, his clothes slightly unkempt. He needed his sleep.” Watari, you're up. You should be sleeping, you've been wasting your energy.” He just smiled, chuckling a little.” What did you see,” he said, eyes serious. He could always read me, when no one else could.” There as a man…and he was speaking with a demon. The demon kept calling the man Kira-sama,” I Said, glancing over at him from my place by the door. Watari was paling , face shocked.” Come sit down,” he said, but his voice was distant.  
Sitting opposite of him, I picked up the tea.” Watari, who is Kira? And why did I have this vision?” Instead of answering, Watari said,” was the vision distant?” I nodded, then repeated my question.” L, there was once a kingdom, not far from here, called the Shinigami. The Shinigami were a brutal line that was known for working with demons, mainly the Tanuki, and they ruled that country for generations, until Yagami Soichiro became king of the land of the Rising Sun, on the other side of the the Netherlands that were once Shinigami territory.  
“ L, you're parents were once the advisors to the Angel kingdom, and the King of the Shinigami, known only by the title Kira, took over. My niece and nephew gave you to me to take care of. They lost their lives not long after.” I felt a grim sort of understanding, and took a sip of my tea, too preoccupied to even wonder about the sugar. Oh, nope.The tea was too bland. I dropped a few cubes of sugar.” The kingdom was in all out war, and the Sol kingdom fought to save us. It seems the Shinigami would win, until the death of the queen, and the king went insane. Not long after, nearly every citizen of Shinigami territory was found dead. It was the work of the demons.”  
At that, I felt a slight unease in my heart.” So that was why the vision was blurry,” I murmured,and Watari nodded.” Demons have the ability to block magic, but yours seems just too strong.” Watari picked up his tea, taking a sip.” After we both get some much needed rest, I want you to focus on where you sensed the dream, and we will head there immediately.”  
As I stood, turning to leave, a voice called out,” Have you seen anything of… Him?” Instantly, I felt my face relax, and my heart squeeze. I didn't like speaking about him, but one person always knew how to bring out my bad side.” No, Mello, I have not. Why do you want to know?” Looking over at him, I tried to push away the painful memories- memories that included red eyes, fire, and friends dying. Successors dying. And that Man had turned on his fellow successors. My own flesh and blood. Mello stared up at me, and smirked, standing from his spot.” Does the great L admit to being unable to find someone?” He teased, moving toward me, and I stated,” well, it would probably help if I was looking for him. I don't want to find him.” I started to turn, only for my arm to be grabbed, urging me to turn back around. I didn't. A pair of lips caressed my ear, and whispered,” I want to find him. I want to mess him up. I want to kill that bastard for what he did, to you, to the others. I want him dead so I can stop caring.” Then, he let me go.” If you see anything of him…” Then, Watari was between us, ushering me out of the room and fixing Mello with a scathing looking.” It would be best not to speak of him. Mello, go to sleep, if you do not replenish your reserves, you cannot join the lessons. L, you must also rest. Tomorrow, we have a long trip ahead of us. Understood?”  
Mello pulled his arm away, tsking in annoyance. Then, he pulled the blanket back over him, sitting up against the wall to glare at us. I turned away again, and left, not even turning to bid Watari goodnight. I would see him soon enough, and I had done so much earlier. There was no need to be redundant. As I walked the hall back to my room, I mulled over the things Watari had told me. If that was true, then who was the man I had seen, and how would I know whether or not he had committed any transgressions? And how do I fight the Tanuki. Seems I would be studying until the sun rose…


	2. Chapter 2

Light stared at the thing, hovering just across from him. What did he mean, of course he was of the Yagami clan, it was the only way he'd be prince. “ Why do you lie, demon,” he hissed, face scrunched in hate.

The thing guffawed, his eyes unblinking and locked on him.” Of course you are. If you weren't, you wouldn't be able to see me.” Light was shocked, but thought about some of what the demon had said. The Shinigami?

“Since you think I am from this ‘Shinigami’ clan, which is utterly wrong, who are they?” He asked, eyes calculating whether he could do damage to the demon, or if a priest should be called. He was also curious. He prided himself on his intelligence, but he had never even heard whisperings of this clan.” Why have I never heard of my own clan, and for what reason would I be the next crown prince of a different clan?”

The thing guffawed again, and Light decided that he hated that sound, and dearly wanted to end it.” Oh, Kira-sama, you are funny. The last one was so dull, always focused on taking over the Angel’s kingdom. I think he had something for one of the sorcerers there, or something,” the thing again said, shrugging.” In the end, I just want some entertainment, some souls, and maybe an apple or two.”

Light felt slightly amused by that. The demon seemed to like apples, wasn't that a treat? Light tucked that away for future reference, and said,” tell me of the Shinigami clan. Who were they? Why am I here?” Then, something occurred to him.” That would mean that my family is not related to me by blood, then?”

The demon’s blank stare changed to one of a somewhat impressed nature. He almost was confused as to how he knew the demon was impressed.” Yep, that's what it means. You really picked that up fast, didn't ya? Well, I guess I should explain, huh? Yeah, you aren't the kid of the Yagami family, even though you can kinda pull off their look. I don't know everything, cuz I got dismissed, but about forty years ago, your dad and mom ruled the neighboring land. They were taking over the world, and the next stop was the land of Angels, a kingdom that had never fallen cuz of the sorcerers that live and work there.

“ Well, in the end, they took over the eastern city of London, and killed the queen and her whole advisor group, all of them sorcerers. And the Yagami, for some reason, attacked back. Your dad got beaten and both of your parents died. That's all I know. If you want to know more, a man and his niece survived the battles. They served your mother and watched over you when she died. They may know more.”

Light sat heavily on his bed. It was too much to take in at once, and he hated that he couldn't cope with this new news.” Ah, Kira-sa-” “ Light.” Ryuk stopped, looking at him.” Don't call me Kira, that isn't my name. Call me Light.” Then, a smirk spread across his features, and twisted it into a harsh, beautiful demon himself.” Besides, we have more to talk about, you and me.”

The demon looked over curiously, and Light smirked.” What power did you give my family that was so amazing that they passed up sorcerers?”  
***

I stood from my carriage, looking down through my hood at the men surrounding it. Not surprising, being in bandit territory, but the Symbol on the sides should have warded them off. My arm was grabbed, and I was thrown to the ground. Irritation and pain spiked for a moment, and a voice called,” what should we do with these ones, eh? Seems like most are kids, but this one,” he yanked my hood up, choking me,” looks to be a useless man, if not somewhat attractive. Now, what to do with him and the old man?”

My cloak was pulled off, showing my thin, tall figure and my light tunic. My breeches were a deep blue, nearly black, and wool, and my boots were short and dark, the fur soft on the inside. My hair was yanked on, my face bared to the bandits.” Well, this one is more than attractive, that's for sure. Shame it's a man, though. Would have been far more expensive as a woman.”

I felt satisfaction for a moment. My disguise was working perfectly. Then, a large, burly man stepped forward, and grabbed my face, his beard viciously wild and graying.” I don't care if this one’s a man, I want to play with him.” A wave of disgust swept through me, and I became fascinated with the weed bracelet on his arm. Dandelions were woven in, their yellow faces drooping. “ You must have a child,” I said, looking at his bracelet.” A son? Daughter? Both? You must have someone of importance to you, and that's why you are trying to figure out what to do with Watari and I, hm? Because most our people are children?”

The man looked thoroughly disturbed, so I continued.” You also seemed to have assumed we would not fight back, hm? Do you even know who you've stopped?”

The man didn't seem to understand. I was really getting irritated with the state of the people I had to deal with. They were all idiots, or at the very least could not take a simple hint.” We are not just any travelers; we are sorcerers, and you stopped us while we were on the way to our next destination.” As I said that, the bandits seemed to shy away, and many just turned and ran. Ah, worked every time.” We meant no harm to you,” the large man started, trying to excuse his past actions. Well, why not- then, he grabbed me, slamming his knee into my stomach, pulling my arms behind my back.

“did you think I'd fall for that stupid excuse? No, little boy, I'm not scared by your big words. I'll put you on your place when we get you to-” of course, I elbowed him while he was monologuing. It was such a cliche, and I didn't plan on listening to this coward’s threats. Then, I slammed my heel, in all it’s hard, unused glory into his shin, and was a little regretful when I heard a soft crack. I kicked a little too hard. Suffice to say, he let go.

The man was panting, holding his leg. Well, then, I see he was good at controlling pain, but what a waste of a good, strong man. “ Why do you continue like this,” I asked,” you can do so much better. What is your name, sir?” No reason to be rude, even if he did have ill-intentions…

“ don't patronize me, you rich pig!” He hissed,” people like you are the reason my family died!” I leaned down to his height.” The war has taken something from all of us. If my colleagues and I don't get to the Yagami kingdom, there will be far more pain.”

I thought of the terrible vision I'd had the night before. We had been traveling for two weeks, and this was the first of the nightmares. I had been so afraid, even more afraid than when- 

I would not think of that. No. Back to the nightmare. It was less painful to think about, less destructive. In my nightmare, the world was like a black wall. I was trapped in a tower, and was begging someone not to kill… Someone. I wasn't too sure, but I was desperately afraid, and had no other choice. Then, there was death. Death everywhere. I could taste blood, and he was laughing. Him. The next Kira. He was laughing at my pain. And I hated him for it.

“ I am not lying, nor am I joking. I am not a jester, I have no reason to amuse you. I have seen what the future is, and it is bloody.” I locked eyes with the pained man, who looked at me in horror.” I am 100 percent certain that I am needed, and at least 50 percent certain I can change the events of my visions. They are-” then, the world went black, and I was back in the tower. I was safe, under some soft blankets, protecting me from the dark.  
Then, I was caressed, from my elbow to shoulder as the coldest hands I had ever felt pulled me into a warm, firm torso. I tried to fight the warmth, but I felt so weak. That laugh haunted me again, so close that the sound echoed in my ear, and the voice said,” My little Lawliet, my Elle, hiding yourself from me in those clothes, with those men who would take you away from me.” Then, my clothes were being pulled off, and I struggled to be let go, to be free of those forsaken hands that were hurting me as-  
“ L!” Someone yelled, slapping me. I was looking up into the annoyed and concerned face of Mello, his blonde hair hanging down. “Mello,” I said, but my voice felt so dead, so distant.” Mello, I'm scared. I'm scared. He wants to hurts me. He wants to hurt me bad.”  
Then, the old, dry hand of Watari started stroking my hair, soothing my heart and mind.  
It was good to focus. I slowly sat up, taking in the environment. Wild flowers, trees, deer droppings and butterflies. A forest clearing. What were we doing here?” Ah, is he awake now?” A voice called, and a rather obvious knight with brown hair came into the clearing, sword lazily grasped at his side.  
I looked to Watari, and he gave a soft nod.” L, this man saved us from the bandits. His name is Sir Matsuda, from the Kingdom of the rising sun. He will be escorting us the rest of the journey.”  
Nodding at the knight, I turned again to the group, ignoring the knight.” You two must leave now, continue your training. Go on. Watari and I will head to the castle, and speak with the king.”  
The knight deflated, mumbling softly, and I rolled my eyes, standing up slowly.” Is our carriage still in one piece?”  
Watari nodded, smiling kindly.” Yes, L, and the Knight has been kind enough to supply his horse for the one that was taken, as well as protect our carriage.”  
I glanced at the man again, recognizing the hints of disappointment and outrage in his eyes, and stood carefully, dipping my head as I hunched up, comfortably curling around myself.” Thank you, kind knight,” I said, and I wanted to sigh at how my voice came out. Emotionless. Insincere. Closed off. The way I talked to most people, especially men.  
It wasn't their fault, but my logic and knowledge were unable to fix this problem. Only time would be able to help me. The Knight seemed satisfied, and let my rather rude reply slide. Thank goodness, one sensible Knight. A miracle! Surveying the group, Watari said,” Now that L has awoken, I believe it is time that we prepare for our journey. You three, when we reach the town in two days time, you will take another, more protected path to reach the temples of Sol. Learn what you can, for they will each teach you of your greatest strength, and most bitter weakness.”  
“Yes, Lord, as you say,” the three replied together, but Near and Mello exchanged confused glances, while Matt simply headed toward the carriage.  
The Knight followed slowly, hand rested on his hilt, not speaking, and I found myself stumbling in exhaustion. Mello and Near were instantly at my side, gently supporting me as I walked, and making it look inconspicuous. I sighed as the carriage came into view, one of our horses and presumably the Knight’s horse waiting calmly.  
As I stepped up to the slightly scuffed door, I nearly jumped in, crawling up into my seat, my feet tucked safely under me before gasping tiredly. “They're becoming more powerful,” Watari murmured, sitting beside me, taking my hand and gently patting it before releasing it.  
The knight watched us uncertainly, opening his mouth as if to say something , only to close it again. “I'll drive,” Matt called, and Mello nodded, following Near into the Carriage.  
“Mello, would you please help drive?” Watering requested, and both the knight and Mello froze.  
“Watari-Sama, I want to stay with-”  
Watari leveled him with a hard look, and the boy turned, moving away stiffly. I felt a twinge of confusion and exasperation at his actions. Why didn't he seem to understand that he was being trusted to do things, not treated like a child. “Sir Matsuda, please join us.”  
The man hesitated, and said, “I should be helping out here-”  
“Sir Matsuda, we could use protection in here. Will you stay with us?” Watari was a sneaky and sly person, and I did not doubt he said that simply to have the knight join us.  
Well, it seemed he was easily swayed, because he instantly entered and sat, if uncomfortably. “Sir knight,” I said, “tell me; what kingdom do you hold a pledge to?”  
“At this moment, I am pledged to the Yagami clan, the rulers of the-”  
“Sol kingdom, yes. Have we much farther to go until we reach the capital?” I finished, ignoring his irritation.  
“We are a four day journey from the castle. But why is a group of Anglian sorcerers trying to make their way to the Solar capital?” Sir Matsuda asked warily, suspicious.  
“L, here, is a seer. After discovering a terrible vision, my apprentices and I hurried to deliver the message, and we must speak directly with the king,” Watari answered for us, and Near, sitting beside the shuttered window, stared at me.  
“Are you certain this seer is correct?” The knight sneered, and I slowly curled closer to myself in the hopes that he would stop speaking.  
Surprisingly, it was Near who spoke up. “Sir Matsuda, I believe you are insulting the most accurate seer in all of the Angel kingdom. Perhaps you would like to apologize.”  
Near stared straight at the knight, who seemed thoroughly spooked. “Perhaps I was out of my bound of speaking. Lord seer, forgive me, please.”  
I simply nodded, turning my eyes to the window, slowly drawing out my magic and making the heat of the carriage ease until it was pleasant. Satisfied, I took out my book and began again studying the words, concerning myself with the possibility of completely learning the language of the Solar people. The knight sighed, and groaned. This would be a long four days for him.  
***  
Light was watching the demon, waiting for the answer. The demon was silent, bugged eyes staring in two different directions. Then, he let out a roar of laughter, leaning back at the fierce guffaws. “Oh, Light-sama, you are sharp. Even more cunning than that father of yours.”  
Light felt a sudden, unbearable longing; a desire to meet this mysterious man that had long since been dead. Pushing the urge away, he waited for the demon to continue. “Yes, there is a power that we possess; we possess the ability to end the lives of others, and to see when they will die, and their true name.”  
Light felt an impatient wave of irritation. “Is that it? You can simply kill others?”  
The demon seemed amused. “Light-sama, I believe I will give you a gift;” that being said, with a flourish of his hand, he produced a book of black leather, with words across the front in the Anglo language. Death Note.  
“This is a gift; with the full name of the victim, and a physical likeness of them in your mind, you can decide how and when you will kill them, all at the tip of your fingers,” the demon said, seemingly bored as he fluttered in the air.  
“Really? I can kill anyone? Simply by...writing it?” Light was thrilled, but it seemed too good to be true.  
“Light-o, You can kill anyone you know the true name of. And I would suggest you get started soon; you’ll catch the eyes of every demon hunter, knight and lord in the world!”  
If only they knew they already had caught someone’s eye...


	3. Update

Hello. I just wanted to let everyone know the next chapter will be up soon, and because of my other story, this one is definitely taking a back burner. The good news is I have chapters pre-written, it’s just a matter of checking and updating. 

Thanks for anyone who’s been looking into this, and know it will be back soon.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The third chapter of this story. I’m pretty sure it’s short, but it’s something, and I’ll have some more for you soon.

It had been three days since our run-in with the bandits and the knight, and I had almost completely learned solarian. It seems the knight had an aversion to me especially, but he seemed to get along well enough with Watari. As for the young apprentices? Well, they had scared him away from speaking with them, that was for sure. They had left two days earlier, and Watari had been the one to drive the carriage, in spite of the knight’s protests. For most of the last two days, I had ignored the knight, but now that I had finished my reading, it would seem an investigation of the capital, as well as its residents was in order.  
Putting my book to the side, I watched the knight, who seemed startled by my sudden interest in him. “Sir Matsuda, please do tell; have you heard of the Kingdom of Death?”  
The knight froze, shock written across his face. “You remember it?”  
Shaking my head, I explain. “Watari is the one who remembers; I was too young. However, my vision, which I'm 25% certain will happen in the next week, tells of the rising of Kira.”  
Matsuda paled, eyes widening in terror. “You saw...Kira? But it's nearly impossible for him to return!”  
“Be that as it may, it is possible, and it will happen. Still, if we get there in time, we can more than likely stop him,” I shrugged, unbothered. Or, at least, unbothered by the task. Meeting Kira? That was a bother.  
The knight groaned, rubbing his face before glancing at me, his gaze almost accusatory. “It has been 17 years since Kira passed, and the people of my village decided never to speak of him. We lived near one of the border towns in the Shinigami kingdom, though we followed the laws of the Yagami’s, and we left alone for most of the war due to our useless placement. That was, until it became useful.”  
“My village was attacked, and would surely have been destroyed, if not for the actions of King Soichiro, who rode in and saved my family. He brought me to his tent, and introduced me to his wife and a small baby; the crown prince. He was on the field. Seems the castle wasn't safe, either.”  
“Do you have any idea who the current Kira could be?” I asked, eyes watching out the window. We had made excellent time, and were even a day ahead of schedule.  
I saw the shadow of the castle, turning back to the knight as began speaking. “There is a rumor of a girl and a man who raised the Shinigami’s only child, but that's all it was; a rumor. As far as I know, the Shinigami never had a child,” he said, though a hint of doubt scrunched his brow. So, it was possible.  
“And have there been any...odd things happening here in the capital?” Matsuda gave me quite the look, seeming more confused.  
“It is a large city, and things do happen, but I have not witnessed anything strange in some time. Last I was here, the king was sentencing a man to life imprisonment for dressing as a woman and attempting to seduce the crown prince. He murdered the prince’s maid, and stole her clothing; the sentence was more so upheld because of her death than the sexual advance.”  
I withheld a laugh, rather amused. A man, in love with the prince enough to cross dress as a woman? Oh, priceless. Men could be so odd. Still, I wasn’t truly all that different. Blowing my bangs out of my eyes, I spoke again. “Have there been any mysterious deaths, or odd...things happening, things no one can explain? Things moved that no one knows about, books appearing where they shouldn’t, food disappearing?”

“No, I can’t say I’ve seen any of that myself, but you should ask the king, he probably has some information that can help you.”

I nodded, looking out the window. I just hope that the welcome was friendly.  
*** 

It was that night that the entirety of the capital began to change. It was with great trepidation that roughly a squad guards rushed to the cells of dozens of prisoners, screaming and crying, only to find them dead. With no clear reason why, the men began to fear a curse or even a plague may be killing the men, though it was highly unlikely.

Light could not be more happy. He had spent quite a while investigating the names of prisoners and writing it in his Death Note. He had been quite confident that nothing would ever be able to stop him, and had been in the middle of his studies when he heard a clattering of wood and hooves. Standing and walking to his balcony, he saw a carriage with a symbol he didn’t recognize on the side, the guards all wary and holding their weapons at attention. An uninvited guest, he supposed, and watched only for a moment longer before he returned to his studies. He would learn who the guest was later.  
***

I watched the castle as we approached. It was certainly magnificent, but nothing I was hadn’t seen before. The knight, however, appeared excited, almost hopeful. He must have missed his home. Still, I doubt it was more than excitement to see his childhood hero. When the carriage finally pulled to a stop, it was Matsuda who exited first, raising a hand. “All is well! It is I, Matsuda! I have returned with esteemed guests! They bring news for the king!”

Outside the sun was bright, and soldiers fell back into their posts, threat no longer present. I watched, fascinated, then I looked over to a balcony, where I thought I saw something. A man…? No, it was too odd-shaped. A demon, then. It was gone as soon as I came to this conclusion, but I had no doubt it was working for Kira. Now, I was certain Kira was residing in the castle of the Yagami. “Watari, we must hurry. I fear we may be too late already,” I murmur to the elderly man, easily following Matsuda as he led us through the halls to the King.

I had hoped my statement would be in the sliver of possibility that was opposite the gruesome visions I saw. I was to be right, though. Dozens of bodies, dirty and gag-inducing, sat in a pile, being slowly packed onto wagons to be buried or burned. It would seem we were not quick enough. Watching the bodies grimly, I followed Sir Matsuda, his dark hair bobbing as he greeted other men, some rubbing it. Just on sight, it clear he’s far younger than most of the other knights, and some of the exasperated smiles only added more strength to my observation.

I almost missed the king as I was observing the knight. It was out of the corner of my eyes that I saw the glimmer of gold, turning to see the older man. He had dark hair with streaks of silver, a thick moustache and spectacles finishing his face, the crown resting atop his head. I was surprised to see him holding a little girl’s hand, smiling down at her as they walked from what appeared to be the garden. “Ah, Matsuda!”

The knight spun around, face wildly excited, and it reminded me of a dog. Yes, all together, the knight was like a dog; loyal and friendly, too naive to realize he was going to be used. How...detestable. “My Lord!” He bowed eagerly, almost clocking his head against me, and I recoiled, subjecting him to a glower.

“These must be the guests I was cautioned about,” the king said, but I could hear the warmth in his voice, and found myself liking the king.

“Yes. My Lord, these are sorcerers from-“

“The Angel Kingdom,” the man breathed out, bowing low to Watari and I. “An honour. I am King Soichiro Yagami, at your service. What brings you to my kingdom.”

Before Watari could respond logically, I rather simply decided directness was important. 

“Kira.”


End file.
